Social media mistakes that can ruin your job

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Social media is such a big part of today's society. A person's life can be an open book thanks to the thoughts, pictures and videos they share with the online world. However not everyone is careful with what they share. This can get them into trouble because once it's online, it never truly disappears. If an employer searches for information about you, and many do. They may find things about you that don't present you in a positive way.

Here are several things to consider cleaning up when applying for a job.

Bad Photos and Videos
Unflattering photos or videos are one thing, but when there is a picture or video of you swearing and flipping off the camera, heavily intoxicated and looking messed up, or borderline nude; those are another thing all together.

Adjust the privacy settings on your account or remove any questionable photos or videos that contain profanity, nudity, or any inappropriate or disrespectful behaviour.

Hateful, Rude, or Illegal posts
What you say and do on social media says a lot about you, and is or will be a reflection on the company you work for. An employer doesn't want employees that make the company look bad by saying rude, racist or discriminatory remarks. They also don't want employees that brag about illegal activity they may have been involved in.

After all, if you say or do these types of things online, what type of behaviour or attitude will you bring to the workplace? Your behaviour could be damaging to the company. So why should they take the risk?

Lying
Lying about your activates, past or present, will eventually get you in trouble. Calling in pretending to be sick is a common thing people do when they are unsatisfied with their job. This becomes a problem when you or someone else posts to your account, or pictures appear online showing you weren't actually sick. If you're going to lie about being sick, and I'm not saying you should. Don't leave evidence showing you were actually at the cricket that day.

Make sure you don't lie on your resume. Keep your online resumes, such on your LinkedIn or SEEK profiles update to date. If you give the employer one version of your resume, but they find other versions online. They may question whether or not you are telling them the truth.

Complaining about your job
Not everyone is a pleasure to work with. But complaining about your job online is not a wise move.You may have left your previous employer on bad terms, or don't get along with that new guy in the office. That's fine; you don't have to be everyone's friend, but don't bad mouth them on social media. It has a way of getting back to them, and creating more problems.

Complaining about your previous or current job shows that you may create conflict in the workplace. When it comes to talking about your work, keeping it positive or not saying anything at all is a good practise to follow.

Solution
To prevent the information you share online from hurting your chances of getting the job, pay attention to your privacy settings. Limit who can post on your accounts and what kind of information they can access. Even if you mind your manners online, you can't control the behaviour of others. That's why it's also a good idea to keep an eye on things that other people tag you in. Don't let a photo of you that someone else posts ruin your chances.

If your online presence shows you're a respectful and responsible person your chances are much better than if you look like someone who will cause a public relations, or human resources nightmare.

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